1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing reels having a pivotable bail assembly operated by a remote trigger and, more particularly, to a plate assembly for transmitting an operating force from the trigger in a substantially straight line to the bail assembly.
2. Background Art
Spinning-type fishing reels are well known in the prior art. Typically, a spinning reel has a frame defining a mounting foot for attachment to a rod. A rotor is mounted to the frame for rotation about a fore and aft axis. A line-carrying spool is coaxial with the rotor axis and oscillated in a fore and aft direction by operation of a crank handle, which crank handle operation simultaneously rotates the rotor to thereby evenly wrap line on the line-carrying spool.
To effect a cast with a basic spinning reel, the user picks up the line projecting away from the reel, with a finger on the same hand that holds the rod, and snubs the line against the rod. With the other hand, the user manually pivots the bail assembly from a retrieve position to a cast position. The rod is then cocked and thrust in the direction of the cast. As the rod is thrust, the user moves the line snubbing finger to release the line. Once the cast is completed, the user operates the crank handle to rotate the rotor. A trip mechanism on the moving rotor is automatically actuated by a cam element on the reel frame to force the bail assembly from the cast position back into the retrieve position as the rotor is rotated.
Some fishermen do not like to have to manually grasp and reorient the bail assembly, as is required with the above structure. To accommodate these fishermen, trigger operated bail assemblies have been developed. Exemplary prior art trigger mechanisms are shown in each of U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,697, to Steinbaugh, U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,158, to Louison, U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,391, to McMickle, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,927, to Louison.
In each of these mechanisms, a plate assembly is utilized to convert pivoting forces from an actuator into a straight line forward force.
There are several problems associated with such plate assemblies. If they are made utilizing a single plate, it is difficult to smoothly guide the plate in a fore and aft direction. Any skewing of the plate may cause the reel mechanism to bind. Rough operation of the reel, excessive wear and/or reel malfunction may result.
If intricate guide structure is provided for the plate, manufacture is complicated and the reel often takes on a larger size to accommodate the additional structure. For example, in Louison (U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,158), it can be seen that a substantial portion of the reel in a fore and aft direction, behind the rotor, is dedicated to the plate assembly.
In the highly competitive fishing reel industry, reduction of reel size and minimization of manufacturing costs are two very important objectives in reel design.
Most important to any designer, however, is reel function. Designers deal with the competing objectives of providing smooth operation of the reel and achieving true straight line movement of the plate assembly. Positive guiding may result in the development of large friction forces.